1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a fan assembly, and more particularly, to a fan assembly for use in powered airborne vehicles. Such devices include, but are not limited to, powered parachute devices as well as other related airborne vehicles.
2. Background Art
The use of personal airborne vehicles has become increasingly popular. In particular, such airborne vehicles include, but are not limited to, powered parachutes and ultralight aircraft. These vehicles utilize an internal combustion engine which is connected to a fan assembly providing the necessary thrust. Generally, the fan is positioned behind the user of the vehicle and, in certain instances, within a shroud. The shroud is utilized to increase the performance of the fan.
While these fan assemblies (both shrouded and unshrouded) provide adequate power for the above-described vehicles, they suffer from certain drawbacks. In particular, these drawbacks include excessive noise, low efficiency, safety concerns, poor ground clearance, stability and size. Overcoming these drawbacks will provide a significantly improved airborne vehicle, wherein the internal combustion motor size and noise can be reduced, safety can be increased, and the entire fan assembly can be diminished in size.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the deficiencies identified above.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for optimization of fan assemblies of airborne vehicles.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the specification and claims appended hereto.